Maxwell finally gets to play, on the golf course

The cynosure of all eyes after fetching $1 million in February's players' auction, the Australia all-rounder has been left to warm the bench by Mumbai Indians. His dreams of playing in the Indian Twenty20 league hit for a six, Maxwell is still teeing off, hoping for at least a hole-in-one.Cooling his heels on the dug out, Maxwell is not complaining, instead keeping his swing in shape with regular rounds of golf in courses across the country as his team hops from one city to another.

Par for courseThe switch in sport is something the Victorian has embraced happily. “Golf is my second passion. Had it not been for cricket, golf would have been my sport,” Maxwell told the Hindustan Times, a big smile reflecting his love for the sport.As Mumbai compete in different venues, Maxwell keeps himself occupied by spending a couple of hours on the golf course early in the day. “I go and play in the mornings, whenever I get the opportunity. I have played in Mumbai quite a bit. I have played in Jaipur and Delhi as well over the last month,” explained Maxwell, who could not find time to play golf only in Hyderabad, the city where he made his Test debut just two months ago.As much as he enjoys golf, the 24-year-old is unmistakably serious about his time on the course. If carrying his golf set from Melbourne was not enough to underline that, he said, "And I don't have a handicap. I am good at golf you know!"

Partnering punterAlthough Maxwell does not find many playing partners, Ricky Ponting does drop in at the course once in a while. Not bad at all, the out-of-touch Mumbai skipper can at least console his younger compatriot while appreciating his putting technique.